S. Korean team heads to Australia for Women's World Cup

South Korea embarked on a journey to Australia on Monday to prepare for the FIFA Women's World Cup, looking for their second trip to the knockout stage in their fourth appearance at the big event.

Coached by Colin Bell, 17th-ranked South Korea will play out of Group H. Their first match is July 25 against No. 25 Colombia, followed by No. 72 Morocco on July 30 and then No. 2 Germany on Aug. 3.

"Everyone on the team is looking forward to the World Cup," Bell told reporters at Incheon International Airport, west of Seoul. "It's going to be a tough challenge, but we will rely on our fighting spirit to accomplish our goal."

Bell reiterated his early point that the first match is the most important one, and said he was only focusing on beating Colombia and nothing else.

Though Australia and New Zealand are co-hosts of the tournament, South Korea will play all of their group matches in Australia, and will stay in the country for all knockout matches, too.

South Korea made it to the round of 16 in 2015 in Canada, but crashed out of the group stage in France four years later. Bell took the reins soon after that, and he has been trying to whip his players into better shape by running them through grueling conditioning drills at every training camp.

Those sessions seemed to have paid off in South Korea's 2-1 win over Haiti in Seoul on Saturday in their final tuneup match at home. South Korean players seemed to get stronger as the match progressed, while their opponents went in the opposite direction. South Korea scored both of their goals in the second half.

After arriving in Australia, South Korea will have a day off and then begin training on Wednesday. They will play a scrimmage behind closed doors against world No. 9 Netherlands on Sunday.

Veteran midfielder Cho So-hyun, who played at each of the past two World Cups, said she is not going to shy away from scoring opportunities.

Cho netted the equalizer in South Korea's 2-1 win over Spain in the final group match in 2015, helping send South Korea into the knockouts for the first time.

"I'd love to score goals and set up my teammates," Cho said. "I missed a couple of chances against Haiti the other day. At the World Cup, the most important thing is to score goals when you have the opportunity."

At 35, Cho is the second-oldest outfield player on this year's team. The 36-year-old forward Park Eun-seon is the most senior player among non-goalkeepers.

Park will be playing in her third World Cup, after 2003 and 2015.

"Back in 2015, I figured that would be my last World Cup, and now here I am, with another opportunity to play," Park said. "I think this really will be my last World Cup. And I will be ready to leave everything I have on the pitch if I get to play." (Yonhap)